Jefferson County district attorney candidates close in fundraising

Brandon Falls has raised more money in his bid to win a full term as Jefferson County District Attorney, but Theo Lawson II has spent more money in the race to be the county's top prosecutor, disclosure forms show.

Falls, a Republican who was appointed district attorney in 2008, has raised nearly $63,000 during his campaign. Lawson, a former prosecutor who is now an assistant Jefferson County attorney, has raised nearly $53,000.

Lawson, a Democrat, has spent some $58,000, leaving him a balance of $6,100 last week. Falls' spending has totaled $36,000, leaving a balance of nearly $27,000.

Neither man had primary opposition, and on Nov. 2 voters countywide will cast ballots in the race.

The winner technically will be the district attorney for the entire 10th Judicial Circuit, but only will supervise prosecutors and support staff in the county's Birmingham division. The prosecutor's office in the Bessemer Cutoff operates independently with its own elected head.

Most of the donations to Falls were $500 or less, including $300 from his predecessor, David Barber.

Donors giving $1,000 include T. Michael Goodrich, former chairman of BE&K engineering and construction company, the law office of Rob Riley and Keith Jackson and Falls' father.

The largest political action committee donation to Falls was $1,000 from ENPAC, whose main donor in that period was Drummond Co. Falls also got $3,000 from the Jefferson County Republican Committee and $1,000 from U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus' campaign fund.

Falls has spent nearly $26,000 since late May, mostly for advertising, polling and consulting.

Lawson also has gotten most of his money from smaller donors, including Hoover City Council members Gary Ivey and Brian Skelton and their businesses, Crest Cadillac and South Haven Nursing Home. A $2,000 donation by Skelton in August brought his total to $2,250.

Roger Brown, Barber's chief deputy district attorney when he retired in 2005, gave Lawson $1,000.

Lawson got a $2,500 PAC donation from a Birmingham branch of the Fraternal Order of Police. He also has received two contributions totaling $2,000 from Economic Development PAC, which got substantial funding from the law firm Waldrep Stewart Kendrick. That firm's PAC also directly donated $500 to Lawson.

Another $1,000 came July 27 from 21st Century Birmingham PAC. A report disclosing its recent donors could not be found Tuesday on the Alabama Secretary of State's website.

Lawson has loaned his campaign more than $11,000, including nearly $3,400 since mid-June. He has spent more than $31,000 since late May, mostly on advertising, consulting and polling.